Big Pete
International Captain
- Mar 12, 2008
- 32,089
- 25,683
Rugby League has such a rich history, I thought it was time to create a catch-all to discuss past greats and incidents that have defined the greatest sport of all.
Melbourne Storm The Start of a Dynasty
At the risk of turning off my fellow Broncos fans, I'd like to kick off this thread with the most dominant team in the competition the Melbourne Storm. They were basically a Super League amalgamation of the Hunters Mariners, Western Reds and a couple of greats in Glenn Lazarus and Tawera Nikau.
In the early days they built their success on playing quality flat football where their tireless forwards would work the ball over the advantage line and give players like Brett Kimmorley and Scott Hill the space to conjure up plays. They could play really entertaining football but their 1999 premiership was built on their resolve and ability to drag themselves back into contests.
It appeared as if Melbourne were going to have a similar run as the Brisbane Broncos until tragedy struck at the start of the 2000 season when football manager Michael Moore died after a prank gone wrong. While over in Auckland for the season opener against the Auckland Warriors, Moore dived off a wharf and allegedly hit his head against a platoon and drowned.
Those at the club spoke about the impact that had on the players. Players like star halfback Brett Kimmorley decided to leave the club and eventually coach Chris Anderson would also depart mid-way through 2001. Melbourne still had a strong foundation but they were just rudderless and the star players like Marcus Bai and Robbie Ross were struggling to make the same impact like they once had.
Step up to the plate Craig Bellamy.
For Bellamy it was between Melbourne Storm and the Wests Tigers. Looking at the two prospects, Melbourne was by far the most sensible decision and it's a real credit to Tim Sheens that he somehow managed to beat Bellamy to his first premiership.
When Bellamy arrived he had a really good mix of youth and experience.
Senior Players - Kearns, Kearney, Bai, Howe, Danny Williams
Prime Players - Geyer, Ross, Hill, Kidwell, Orford, Bell
Rookies - C. Smith, Slater, Johnson
Smith and Slater would go onto become two of the best players of their generation and Dallas of course became a Queensland great. However there were other young players who have almost been lost in time like giant prop forward Robert Tanielu, UK Prop Forward Keith Mason and two young halves who Melbourne had big plans with in Michael Russo and Marty Turner. At the time, it was Russo and not Cronk who was considered the best halves prospect coming through. However both were involved in a serious car accident that derailed both their careers. They stayed around but the accident changed them.
Those initial three years of Bellamy's reign could all be summed up in the first NRL game he coached Melbourne. Coming up against Cronulla who had qualified for the Prelim Final the year before, Melbourne found themselves down by 22 points early in the first half. However on the back of some sensational solo efforts from Billy Slater and some quality attacking football from Orford and Bell the Storm managed to pull off a remarkable 36-32 win.
Melbourne were the polar opposite of what they are today. They played a really expansive style of football that gave players like Orford, Hill, Smith and Slater an opportunity to shine. The issue with Melbourne is that they could never replicate those performances week to week or sometimes half to half. They were their own worst enemies and they were a tipsters nightmare.
In those early days you could see the basic template of what Bellamy wanted. Big Fijian winger Semi Tadulala received an extended opportunity to stake his claims. Kirk Reynoldson, a hard-working no-frills forward became a cult hero under Bellamy and ended up signing a marquee contract at Newcastle. Then signings like Steve Turner (speed), Ben MacDougall (big body difficult to tackle centre) and Alex Chan (underrated mature forward with skill) also revealed his tastes in players.
What Bellamy did well during those initial years is that he struck a good balance where he made Melbourne competitive by playing to their strengths while also bringing in his type of players. On top of C. Smith, Slater, Johnson - Matt King, Antonio Kaufusi, Jake Webster and Ryan Hoffman all made their debuts that year. He didn't rush their development but he made it clear to everyone what the future of the club was going to look like.
Matt King is a good example of how effective Bellamy is as a coach. King was playing reserve grade at Cronulla and was considering quitting the sport altogether. Matt Orford who had played with King at the Northern Eagles brought this to Bellamy's attention and told him to give him a chance. King took it with both hands and as they say the rest is history. He's also another example of the prototypical Bellamy back - a big body high ceiling type of player.
Behind the scenes, Peter O'Sullivan was working over-time to sign up the best young talent in Greg Inglis, Israel Folau, Will Chambers, Adam Blair, Sam Tagataese and even a few players who didn't kick on but were big on the scene like Jackson Nicolau, Anthony Perkins and Michael Bond.
So when Melbourne lost Matt Orford (Manly), Steve Bell (Manly) and Robbie Kearns (retirement) in 2005 it wasn't the end of the world like it should have been. By his 4th year he had a very talented group of footballers who had been educated in his system. While they didn't have the flair of the previous teams, Melbourne would play a far more consistent brand of football as they played the percentages and began to focus more on their defence.
Those early days were frustrating for Melbourne but by showing patience Bellamy was able to build the best system in the sport. Even after losing Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith Melbourne continue to develop the best footballers who continue to work together tirelessly.
Melbourne Storm The Start of a Dynasty
At the risk of turning off my fellow Broncos fans, I'd like to kick off this thread with the most dominant team in the competition the Melbourne Storm. They were basically a Super League amalgamation of the Hunters Mariners, Western Reds and a couple of greats in Glenn Lazarus and Tawera Nikau.
In the early days they built their success on playing quality flat football where their tireless forwards would work the ball over the advantage line and give players like Brett Kimmorley and Scott Hill the space to conjure up plays. They could play really entertaining football but their 1999 premiership was built on their resolve and ability to drag themselves back into contests.
It appeared as if Melbourne were going to have a similar run as the Brisbane Broncos until tragedy struck at the start of the 2000 season when football manager Michael Moore died after a prank gone wrong. While over in Auckland for the season opener against the Auckland Warriors, Moore dived off a wharf and allegedly hit his head against a platoon and drowned.
Those at the club spoke about the impact that had on the players. Players like star halfback Brett Kimmorley decided to leave the club and eventually coach Chris Anderson would also depart mid-way through 2001. Melbourne still had a strong foundation but they were just rudderless and the star players like Marcus Bai and Robbie Ross were struggling to make the same impact like they once had.
Step up to the plate Craig Bellamy.
For Bellamy it was between Melbourne Storm and the Wests Tigers. Looking at the two prospects, Melbourne was by far the most sensible decision and it's a real credit to Tim Sheens that he somehow managed to beat Bellamy to his first premiership.
When Bellamy arrived he had a really good mix of youth and experience.
Senior Players - Kearns, Kearney, Bai, Howe, Danny Williams
Prime Players - Geyer, Ross, Hill, Kidwell, Orford, Bell
Rookies - C. Smith, Slater, Johnson
Smith and Slater would go onto become two of the best players of their generation and Dallas of course became a Queensland great. However there were other young players who have almost been lost in time like giant prop forward Robert Tanielu, UK Prop Forward Keith Mason and two young halves who Melbourne had big plans with in Michael Russo and Marty Turner. At the time, it was Russo and not Cronk who was considered the best halves prospect coming through. However both were involved in a serious car accident that derailed both their careers. They stayed around but the accident changed them.
Those initial three years of Bellamy's reign could all be summed up in the first NRL game he coached Melbourne. Coming up against Cronulla who had qualified for the Prelim Final the year before, Melbourne found themselves down by 22 points early in the first half. However on the back of some sensational solo efforts from Billy Slater and some quality attacking football from Orford and Bell the Storm managed to pull off a remarkable 36-32 win.
Melbourne were the polar opposite of what they are today. They played a really expansive style of football that gave players like Orford, Hill, Smith and Slater an opportunity to shine. The issue with Melbourne is that they could never replicate those performances week to week or sometimes half to half. They were their own worst enemies and they were a tipsters nightmare.
In those early days you could see the basic template of what Bellamy wanted. Big Fijian winger Semi Tadulala received an extended opportunity to stake his claims. Kirk Reynoldson, a hard-working no-frills forward became a cult hero under Bellamy and ended up signing a marquee contract at Newcastle. Then signings like Steve Turner (speed), Ben MacDougall (big body difficult to tackle centre) and Alex Chan (underrated mature forward with skill) also revealed his tastes in players.
What Bellamy did well during those initial years is that he struck a good balance where he made Melbourne competitive by playing to their strengths while also bringing in his type of players. On top of C. Smith, Slater, Johnson - Matt King, Antonio Kaufusi, Jake Webster and Ryan Hoffman all made their debuts that year. He didn't rush their development but he made it clear to everyone what the future of the club was going to look like.
Matt King is a good example of how effective Bellamy is as a coach. King was playing reserve grade at Cronulla and was considering quitting the sport altogether. Matt Orford who had played with King at the Northern Eagles brought this to Bellamy's attention and told him to give him a chance. King took it with both hands and as they say the rest is history. He's also another example of the prototypical Bellamy back - a big body high ceiling type of player.
Behind the scenes, Peter O'Sullivan was working over-time to sign up the best young talent in Greg Inglis, Israel Folau, Will Chambers, Adam Blair, Sam Tagataese and even a few players who didn't kick on but were big on the scene like Jackson Nicolau, Anthony Perkins and Michael Bond.
So when Melbourne lost Matt Orford (Manly), Steve Bell (Manly) and Robbie Kearns (retirement) in 2005 it wasn't the end of the world like it should have been. By his 4th year he had a very talented group of footballers who had been educated in his system. While they didn't have the flair of the previous teams, Melbourne would play a far more consistent brand of football as they played the percentages and began to focus more on their defence.
Those early days were frustrating for Melbourne but by showing patience Bellamy was able to build the best system in the sport. Even after losing Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith Melbourne continue to develop the best footballers who continue to work together tirelessly.